ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ก.ค. 2024
- Vinyl is booming, streaming services are more popular than ever, and we’re all depressed. This means one thing and one thing only: it’s time to reassess CDs.
Yes, friends, you read that correctly. The humble compact disc has been unloved for far too long. And we’re here to change that. And your opinion. After this you’ll no longer view CDs as a boring bit of old technology. Instead, you’ll view them as a medium we should all value and throw ourselves at the feet of.
Read the full article here: thenextweb.com/plugged/2021/0...
The video (and article for that matter) is split into a few broad sections, which will go as thus:
00:00 - Intro
00:59 - What is sampling rate?
04:15 - What is bit depth?
05:58 - What is bitrate?
07:20 - How much difference is there between different lossy and lossless audio files?
09:48 - The audio quality of CDs
10:48 - The benefits of owning the music you listen to
11:49 - Why CDs are the best value physical media format
13:21 - CD vs. Vinyl: Which is “better?”
16:14 - How should we listen to CDs?
17:12 - Review: Marantz CD6007 CD player
20:39 - Should you start collecting CDs?
21:59 - How to balance different music formats
24:03 - Conclusion
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I've been buying a CD or two, on and off, ever since they were first released in 1982.
But about 18 months ago, at the age of 51, i began to realize just how under rated the format was and began buying CDs in mass.
In just the past 18 months, my collection went from 300 CDs to 570 CDs. I love my collection and so glad i became reinvested in the music CD.
I will hold on to them forever.
I am the same.
A 1992 CD player for $ 250 sounded much better is a 1982 CD player for $ 600
Loudness War is unfortunately a problem on modern CDs. which in the worst case can mean non-existent dynamics. the interesting thing is that the big record companies use a different mix for their vinyl records
@Marty McFly II A CD player in 1983 did not sound as good as a good CD player in 2021
There is reason to suspect that the major record companies. uses a better sound mix for its Hi-res files and vinyl records
We've witnessed the rebirth of the vinyl record in the 2010's, then why not the rebirth of the CD in the 2020's? Sweet!
Sony and Philips have already tried it with SACD. it apparently did not go so well because when they published that format, apparently some people were more interested in MP3 and downloading music
You have one problem the sound
Because a CD is not dead like vinyl was after 1991. CD is very popular, but became more audiophile format and not something for average masses. That is good I think. It was also designed to be that, but at the end profit prevailed.
@@Andersljungberg The problem was that CDs were already good enough. Sacd was unnecessary.
@@Wordsalad69420 The recording on cds is good enough, the medium is crap, too prone to scratching as the layer the bits are recorded on is not protected like a DVD.
Being a classical musician and having an unrelated day job, I have 7000 cds - I have a lot of music you just can’t find on streaming services
Completely agree. I had vinyl growing up and when CD's came out they were a Godsend. Sturdier, sounded better, portable, etc. Vinyl is more appreciated nowadays and people love it for other reasons but I think CD's will definitely make a comeback. CD's are the next vinyl in my opinion. Great video.
:^)
I haven’t realised that CD is already a forgotten format. I use it everyday.
They will probably stop the production in a couple of years, so yes, it's a (almost) forgotten format.
I know a guy that uses a cotton gin too.
CD's FOREVER!!! 😊👍
@@paulmcwilliams1709 Hell, CD's are going down in value, haha.
There are people that scoff at cds and surprised they're still being used. The same for dvds. Crazy🤪
I remember when CDs first appeared in the 1980's they were considered technical marvels. Everyone got rid of their vinyl and tapes and replaced them with CDs.
I'll never understand why vinyl came back. CDs as a format are superior in every way.
I never got rid of my LPs. Since they're pristine.
My Marantz Cd player is 32 years old used nearly every day still going no issues.
That's good because their current ones are notoriously unreliable.
@@markrigg6623 Not surprising really no one makes a decent laser these days and well surface mount components not great either.
@@mauanderuk I'm not sure about the laser but being an audio tech back in the 80s and 90s I can tell you surface mount components drastically improved the reliability of electronics. And I mean drastically. Most other brands of cd players currently are reliable. But I can't emphasise enough that surface mount tech is the greatest leap forward in electronics in terms of reliability. In the 80s, everything broke down or so I t seemed.
@@markrigg6623 Components are one thing lead free solder is another.
Suspect your talking about mass produced to robotised mass production assembly and soldering that came in around 1990. Cant change the resistors, diodes or caps like you can in a decent non mass produced amp for peanuts then have something comparable to 7 times dearer.
I've been buying CD's from thrifts shops for the last 4 years based on ownership. Once I experienced not being able to find an album or two on Spotify due to record label legal reasons I realised how much control we relinquished with streaming. It's only going to get more expensive, especially when record labels start their own streaming services. Same goes for DVD's and video games. Streaming overall is still in it's infancy and once the wars really begin you'll be glad to have your backups.
Yeah, this sounds smart. If you have the space to store them there's no reason not to buy great classic albums in thrift shops for ~€2 whenever you see them.
And also sometimes the albums on the stream service are different than the physical copy based on legal purposes like sample clearance. It feels very safe having a backup indeed.
Exactly! Licensing issues kill availability on streaming services - good and convenient though they are.... however, if you have the CD, or LP version, licensing problems won't 'delete' your physical copies!! ;-)
I like to look at the inlay booklet while listening, can't do that with streaming. The issue of ownership has always been a factor for keeping me away from streaming.
100% agree with every word, you are so right and to this day I still have my record albums 33 1/3 and cds for the simple reason you stated. You would be surprised at the vast content of material not available on streaming services. I do stream and sometimes due to certain albums only available through streaming, which I then burn a back up cd copy. Again totally agree with you.
Even some of the songs online aren't the original ones found on the album , sometimes they replace them with a remix or an edit and that's very frustrating
I love Cd's. Does anyone else here have an emotional attachment to some of their CD's? I have some of the first one's i bought back in the mid 80's that bring back good memories when I listen to them and hold the case in my hand. I listened to Sade 'Promise' the other day, which I bought new in 1985 and it almost made me weep as I listened to it and remembered my life at that time as a 19 year old in my first year of college.
:^)
Great album. I haven't wept yet for my 80's cds but maybe you had a better time than me, lol. Funny thing for me is with Sade, back then, I had no interest in her music and did not appreciate it, but now as I am older, I love every one of her albums. So well made and interesting music. I think she influenced everyone from Sting to Simply Red etc.
CDs rule. Lets be honest. I'll always buy compact discs.
You know what I miss? CD singles.
I love having four or five remixes of a song on a disc.
Or B sides
The CD single was its own art form when done correctly.
Holy crap that was mad in the day! XD
Many of those mixes aren't available anywhere except for the cd single.
I like one 12 inch mix but not 7 mixes or 40 minutes
Some spngs have too many mixes and dont count for the charts.
The listener's paradox: when you are young, you have good hearing but usually less money, you listen (mostly, not all) to crap players. When you grow older, you have more money, you get to buy better equipment, but your hearing degrades.
yet you can still detect differences in quality.
my Focal KRX2 tweeters play up to 20k, which my 62 year old ears can no longer hear.
then listen to their TBM tweeter which plays up to 50k.
they will blow your mind.
you cant hear it..... but you *know* its there.
Tell me about it!!!
This is why I’m buying my kids decent (although not extravagant) equipment when they are young, with the agreement that they will do the same when they have kids of their own.
@@googoo-gjoob What format are you talking about? The CD is 20-20,000hz. The CD also was probably sourced from an analogue master tape which maybe topped out at 15,000hz.
@@revokdaryl1 , worry yourself less with numbers... _trust your ears_
Great video. I have purchased a SONY DVD PLAYER for only USD 50, since my cd player died. I connected with a coaxial cable to my amp and sounds amazing. I have 600+ cds and love them.
That's a good idea, DVD players play CDs really good and your average TV speakers are real good!
And that's just the CD sound on an average (audio wise!) DVD player.
Image the sound on a really good CD or audiophile DVD player!
I did the same thing, a $40 Sony DVD player from Walwart, and even its analog outputs sound way better than my 20 year old $600 Arcam CD player that finally died. My system has never sounded better
Most dvd players do not support the cd red book standard though. Some functions do not work. For instance: I have quite a lot of mixed cd's and dvd players leave a gap between the audio while it should play seamlessly. I also have one cd with copyright protection that doesn't play. Some albums also have pregap audio as bonus track: if you rewind track one, you sometimes have a whole extra track. Except from mixed audio cd's in some styles of music (techno, ambient...), These things aren't used a lot. But still...
@Aso Fotida I would if I have the money, but crisis You know...
I often buy CDs for as little as 20cent each in charity shops. Sometimes I have to replace a cracked box and a disc will turn out to be not as good as I thought, but it is great fun and over the years I have discovered a lot of bands and artists I otherwise would not have.
So happy to see all the intelligent CD fans in the comments! The current vinyl obsession most young people have is simply them following the hip trends. They have no idea how much better CD’s are.
As far as i know the big problem with CDs and digital music in general is the compression within the mastering process. Loudness War is the keyword here. When you reduce the dynamic and normalize the volume afterwards, the record is getting louder. Most people will think the louder the music the better and when your out and playing it on a bluetooth box it isn't necessariy wrong. Most music nowadays is played on these "small devices" therefore most music is mastered exacly for these devices. Only on Vinyl there is no thing like loudness war or overcompression because of the way vinyls work. I would love to buy those high dynamic range masters on a digital medium, but they are all compressed in comparison with the Vinyl versions
@@Bastelkorb3 Music had to be compressed to be put on vinyl as well. Dynamically as well as the RIAA curve. Modern music on vinyl is rarely a different master than the CD master.
Both can sound great in a great setup. But CD has some inherent benefits over vinyl.
Nah, some of us collect vinyl because they just give a much more better experience than cd..... i.e. big art and interactability.... cds are pretty pointless nowadays when TH-cam, spotify, and flac files exist💁♂️
@@MegaTroySmith Vinyl is a pain in the ass. And piracy is pretty much dead, so it's either buy the CD or be stuck with something compressed.
I came to the conclusion that we as music lovers love all formats (good or bad) of music,i stopped buying cds in 2005 and have started again in 2020☺🤗♥️
So maybe I'm not crazy for having 4000 cd curated library over a 40 year period at a cost of about $15,000 USD.
Where do you get cd’s for 3,75 $ a piece?
@@felixrenard2438 average cost.
@@felixrenard2438 If you're in the East Coast area,check out PRINCETON RECORD EXCHANGE in New Jersey. Always tons of inexpensive cds,lp,dvds,bluray, etc. Trade in a few lps that you no longer need,come away with a box load of cds that cost you a buck each(if that). Highly recommended,check out their website.
👍👍👍👍😎😎😎😎😎😎🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓
@@felixrenard2438 Thrift sales, yard sales, used, sales, online, etc. New England, USA
As a classical music aficionado who listens primarily on high quality headphones from a DAP, (MDR-Z1R cans fed by WM1A DAP), CD is an indispensible source of music. I would estimate that 75% of my music comes from CDs ripped as lossless FLAC files (the other 25% from sites like the wonderful Presto Classical). The library available on CD far outstrips any online store, and the used market makes this very economical. Add to this box sets with discs priced between $1-2 apiece, and CD just can't be outdone by any other delivery system. And, as you say, the sound quality of a well recorded and mattered CD is essentially flawless.
Where do you purchase your CDs?
@@shae1547 Used, eBay and Discogs. New, Amazon I wish there were a better option in the US for new discs, but there isn't really.
@@matthewweflen nice I also use ebay for so much stuff, movies and CDs. Amazon can be so hit or miss with CD prices
@@matthewweflen Re: sourcing classical CDs in the USA. The British pound (GBP) is a bit stronger now (and international shipping is exorbitant due to the pandemic scuttling commercial flights), but for the last couple of years I found for classical music it was often cheaper (for many labels) to buy CDs at Presto in the UK (especially with their periodic sales) and have it shipped here to the USA than it was to buy from Amazon. Naxos Direct in the USA is also really good (w/ free shipping) for anything on their label. Cheers.
Bought my first cd player in 1991- 3,000 cds later, i still buy them. Recently got back into vinyl too
I have most on my CD's from 1983 to now sounds as good as they did when new
I rip all my CD's to FLAC as the "master" file copy, from there when I want to copy the song or album to a phone or flash drive I convert them to MP3 so it won't take up as much space. All of my FLAC files are stored on a desktop style hard drive so space isn't an issue in that case. Great video. Thank you!
You are a smart man.
Just make sure you have a second hard-drive back-up, as mechanical hard-drives do, and WILL, fail...... The largest SSD you can afford, or online cloud back-up would be a better solution for preservation.
I'd hate lose a huge collection of music just because some crappy Seagate-Maxtor external drive (Western Digital/WD are what I've found to be most reliable) decided to bite-the-bullet one day just because 'it can'..... ! 🙃
If space truely wasn't an issue like you say, then you'd rip your CDs to their source file which is wave. But i get you flac people love meta data more than sound quality.
my mates call me crazy for spending 500 dollars on CDs, but there's just something about having a physical copy of an album you like that's just really special, and vinyl can be really pricey.
I will never give up my CDs. I like having a hard copy and liner notes. Vinyl is too much hassle, and degrades every time it's played. No thanks. I had enough decades ago with cartridge alignment, record cleaners, stylus replacement, and all the other associated head aches
They don't just degrade. They warp even when not used because of heat and humidity. A truly inferior format. I have no idea why it's popular all of a sudden.
@@Wordsalad69420 Because every sound produced or recorded start and end in analog format. Everytime there is a conversion of format, it is prone to errors.
Don't forget inner groove distortion. CD and cassettes don't have this "feature".
@@Wordsalad69420 its becouse someone up there decided to promote the vinyl format again as much as compact cassette as well...
cd is the best medium for well mastered music,period...nothing come close to it specially when played back on very good quality DAC...
@@micheltremblay4774 : Nope. On the contrary, you will most certainly get less "errors" when converting a digital signal back to analog than having a full analog chain; analog signal through an analog medium and playback. Why? Because digital sampling and playback is more accurate and is not prone to physical limitations unlike analog formats and equipment.
Storage is a major thing.
I have Deutsche Grammophon's "Bach 333" set which is 222 discs, "BTHVN 2020" which is 118 discs, "Leonard Bernstein-Complete Recordings on Deutsche Gramophone & Decca" which is 121 CDs, and "120 Years of Deutsche Grammophon" with 121 discs.
That would require a lot of shelf space if they were vinyl records.
"My ShitTM" 😁😁😁 Great video. I've collecting CD's since '87. I've no desire to cease. Love the format and the quality it brings. Not one of my CD's have succumb to this infamous 'rot', not one. Probably because I handle my disc like a record should be handled.
CD rot not caused by user but in manufacturing process ... most notorious being CDs produced by PDO plant at Swindon (UK) between c. 1988 to 1992 when there were problems re keeping the label dye side leaking and "rusting" the CD side (causing CD bronzing) ... there was a time when PDO did actually replace a CD if you contacted them directly (no longer the case) ... examples of bronzed CDs in my collection included Pat Travers' School of Hard Knocks, Elkie Brooks, CD singles by Europe, Van Morrison Hymns to the Silence, many CDs by Deutsche Grammophone, etc ... such bronzed CDs now 100% useless ... However, I still buy CDs ... just not so many (wife thinks 3,000+ is more than rnough) ... I then rip in a lossless way to .wav on my PC (.flac is also ok) ... and listen 150,000 files via external USB DAC ... I also use Qoboz to stream HiRes ... don't like lossy services ... and not convinced by MQA from Tidal ....
@@calummcgregor3662 I remember the PDO time. But it's also been suggested that storing CD in humid conditions such as a hot car can cause rot. Just the same as damp and cold conditions, like a car in the winter time. I read a of people using the FLAC playback method. Me personally, I don't play music on the go. I have two modern CD receivers with excellent built-in DAC's. Sounds glorious.
There was also Discovery Systems in the US that pressed lots of promo CDs, 1980s Contemporary Christian Music CDs distributed by the Christian record companies, etc. that many ended up rotting completely and even audibly (copies of the same CCM albums pressed by mainstream labels usually didn't have this issue), and Nimbus often had CDs that the labels would get sticky and if you clean these discs, the label and the top layer end up getting removed resulting in a damaged disc, the best known example of this are original pressings of Roy Orbison's Mystery Girl distributed in stores by WEA, pressed by Nimbus. Record club copies, EMI pressings and MFSL issues do not have this issue.
@@BradOlsonBemidji Not surprised with MFSL discs as they used 16k gold for their CD's.
@@SHOPFLOORTONE You mean 24k Gold.
Hi TNW, I agree the most with you. Look, when I was born, my grandpa used to listen to his favorite classical music in 78 RPM format! I still do recall some of those recordings and how it sounded through that big, big horn! Aggggg!!! I started to grow with the LP 33 and 45 RPM format, and in "stereo" recordings of Hasha Heifetz under the RCA brand, well, those records belonged to my father and an uncle, a brother of his. So when I started to work after completing my career, for sure I began to purchase my own rig and separate ones and ended up spending a lot of my hard-earned bucks in the search of the best possible sound from vinyl for my Technics SLP-1200 turntable, and happy the man, I collected some more than 400 titles. Then the year 1983 kicked in and I attended a stereo show like the Vegas one, but in my city and in one of the many booths we (my friends and I) stumbled with the Philips booth and two beautiful ladies holding that shiny, small CD in their hands and a rig with which I think was a prototype of their very first CD player. What can I tell? Owr own jaws just dropped, hit, and bounced on the rug!! The next year, I purchased my very first one, a Technics SL-P10. Oh man, my dad kicked in my room and said, "Did you get that from hell or what?" We listened to only three CDs I had previously purchased until the next morning!! Today I own a Sony CDP-X55ES and a Sony CDP-620ES. I gave my LP collection to my son. No more scratchy wobbling sound; no more stand-ups to turn the bloody thing over. I like LPs, but I appreciate CDs at most, and I do my backups and play lists in my Denon DTR-2000 DAT recorder. Well, thanks for reading this rather lengthy narration, but it is what it is!! THE BEST FORMAT IS THE ONE YOU LIKE THE MOST, PERIOD... Have a great day all.
I appreciate your effort to balance your video, with respect to vinyl vs. CDs. I applaud your effort and you are expressing my thoughts, mostly. The fact remains that CDs, especially SACD/DSD, are the best we have. You failed to mention the hisses, pops, and scratches, of Vinyl. Not to mention the lack of multi-channel, as well as sound quality. And, if your ears are satisfied with MP3s, there is nothing to discuss.
It was a magical day in my life when CDs appeared. I thanked God for the not having to listen to the noise and inconvenience of vinyl ever again. I played a vinyl record the other day, just to see if I forgot something that I was missing. I didn't take but, 2 minutes of listing, and I threw the player away - and I have an exceptional sound system. It would be like manna from heaven, to have SACD/DSD become ubiquitous -
that Octave records is fighting for. Maybe, as you suggest, that the same resurgence of vinyl will lead back to CDs - for the very reason we left them in the first place: It was old and inferior technology.
When I clicked into this video I did not expect Mr. TNW to give such an in depth discussion on music reproduction. Back when I was young there were four music format choices: LP, cassette, 8-track, and radio. Radio was free, but you didn't get to choose the music and had to suffer lots of commercials and other filler. Cassettes were a great invention because that gave us control over the music we listened to when driving. 8-tracks were an obvious joke on the buyer because you couldn't record them. Both cassettes and 8-tracks were based on magnetic tape, a very fragile media that disappears over time. Even worse, store bought cassettes sounded terrible compared to recording your own from LP on chrome tape with Dolby. So the end result is we had to buy LPs and record cassettes for our cars, leaving me with 30 feet of excellent condition LPs today.
So one day in 1989 I walk into my record store and all the records were gone, just CDs. So I became a CD buyer. Every CD which I also have the LP never sounds as good, but the CD doesn't have scratches or hiss and I never had to clean them. I thought the inferiority of CDs was bad until around 1998 when you could duplicate CDs and record your own on your computer. Now that you can rip them to 320bps MP3s, CDs are even greater. So the end result is I ripped all my CDs to MP3s on a hard disk on one of my computers and stream to all the stereos and TVs in my house. I also made a copy on a memory stick in my glove compartment and never have to mess with media at home or when driving (imagine having to deal with two cases of 90 minute cassettes).
But probably the most important thing about music is you want to buy it once and last indefinitely. LPs used to best solve that problem, and they still work for that. But the versatility of CDs supersedes LPs, even if they don't sound as good. CDs are more than good enough in the age of VBR MP3s and ear buds stereos. I rarely buy music anymore, but when I do it has to be on CD. Streaming is now the 21st century version of radio so it can never be as good as having your own personal media.
Hey! in the late 90s, he was fond of music on cd, then somehow calmed down, and sold not a large collection! 3 years ago, I decided to remember my youth and started collecting vinyl, but quickly realized that it was not mine ... At the moment I have about 800 cds in my collection. I am very pleased with the sound, although my hi-fi system is simple and suits me! Thanks for the interesting tour!
I never sold my LPs that I bought through the 80's and I have never sold my CDs either and I keep buying both formats.
Enjoy both, why not!
There are advantages to both! The war is stupid!
Absolutely stellar video from a first time watcher, thank you!!!
A correction about Spotify: It's hard to find a definite answer, some sources say AAC, some Vorbis, but Spotify definitely doesn't use MP3. Both Vorbis and AAC provide better sound quality for the same bitrate as MP3. That said, all lossy formats struggle with loudness war-era recordings, which means a lot (most?) of popular music available in streaming services.
CDs have been my favorite audio format since they first appeared on the market. I'd known intimately all the downsides of vinyl since I was a kid so once a more resilient medium appeared it was like "good riddance to the LP" for me. Admittedly, I was a teen and thus somewhat naïve about the reality of "perfect".
CDs didn't see the full realization of their potential initially because there were some issues with early digital technology, such as sampling clock jitter and DAC scaling tolerances (the next higher bit should give exactly twice the voltage change of the lower one, good luck achieving that precisely for 16 bits). Another problem was poor quality of some of the early transfers, often done from second or third generation tapes (anyone remember Virgin Nice Price with grey frames on the cover? ouch!). That led to the initial backlash against digital from audiophiles and the collective memory still holds on to that to some extent. But by late 1980s a good setup could sound heavenly with a good recording.
Anyway, after some years of listening to streaming I dug out my Discman (still working!) and started collecting old CDs from the 1980s. I have yet to find one that doesn't sound great. A lot like with vinyl, having that physical thing in your hands, one that you spent actual cash on, makes you appreciate it more. I never listened to the same album twice in a row from streaming. With CDs it's normal for me. In fact I landed here because I was looking if somewhere on this planet there was a Compact Disc appreciation society. I'm not making this up! I want to join one. :)
Yep, you're totally right about the MP3 thing - that was our bad. And thanks for the comment, was really interesting to read!
Yeah, thought so.
@Jorge Many smartphones don't sound that good. There are some that have "for audio" sound chips and those do sound better. But Sony D-NE511 and Samsung HS1303 (yes, those cheap earbuds!) make for a surprisingly good-sounding combo. With those vintage CDs I get a wonderful listening experience.
Vinyl is excellent if one likes the sound of bacon frying. Listen to the end of any piano piece on vinyl and experience a sense of sea sickness (if one has any sensitivity to pitch).
i have plenty of dead silent vinyl, some of it not even brand new.....) any good table should have measurably nigh-inaudible pitch distortion as well.....o
Love CDs and I have about 240. I have a vintage rack system that cost 640.00 in 1977 and added a Sony CD changer in 1991. All of that works flawlessly. I still have about 25 LPs I couldn't get on CD. Since a young teen, treated the LPs like gold with Discwasher(eraser style, with drops) and storing vertically in climate controlled houses. Even then, some warped. All my CDs are uploaded to iTunes/Apple Music and I have an iPod Classic, which I love love love (and have a back up refurbished.) It holds all my CDs and the songs I purchased from iTunes are in my library. I have set up diff playlists, by decade, Christmas & just fun, groovy. My classic iPod can be played on my Bose docking speaker or in my car with 11 speaker Bose system. I pay no subscription fees for music and have complete flexibility. I have been kidded about my iPod Classic, but there is nothing on the market since it's discontinuation in 2017. I've also used 1/3 of the space, 320G.
I agree with a lot of your points. Especially on owning and making backups of your music. However one major drawback to CDs is the varying quality in the plastic and other materials used to physically make the disc and dreaded scratches and skips. Not all discs are created equal, some will last longer than others. I only buy my music in CDs but I back them up and play them on my devices using various programs. I dont normally play the CD directly. But yeah, streaming is all about quantity not quality.
I still have the first CD's I ever bought (in the eighties) and they are all still 100%.
Even better is minidisc, as the disc itself is completely encased, so no scratches or fingerprints.
Disc rot is real but just make copies
@@nicomeier8098 minidisc is compressed 💿 are better
Mexican CDs are the worst.
The only digital discs I have ever seen go bad (other than plenty of scratches, of course.....( are a spindle of ULTRA cheap-ass generic CD-R's I bought around 2001 (that were probably intended to go through some sort of finishing process with application of the label: the foil was pretty literally exposed, and especially the tiniest scratch would start oxidizing within about a decade.....D and 1 single quite early retail DVD, I think from the mid-90's. It does happen, but it does generally take decades, depending on quality and storage conditions of course.)
I love your video! Since the beginning of the pandemic, I discovered a few cds & cassettes cleaning out my storage room; as I used to be a mobile DJ for ten years. And I have falling in love with cds all over again. I started collecting cds at thrift stores and discount record shops a few months ago. I’m very happy about building my collection with some amazing artists including classic rock, jazz, blues, folk rock, house music, etc etc. All at a very affordable price. I have also enjoyed the art work and lyrics that come with them. Along with the pictorials and trivia that comes with these awesome cd box sets. Recently found Tom Petty, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Allman Brothers Band Box Sets. And for a 1/4 of the price that they cost new when they came out many years ago. Cheers from Houston
CDs are the last uncompressed archive of many songs. Many original master tapes are gone now, thousands burned up in the Universal vault fire and ones that remain are unplayable because the tape has degraded. The good news is there are CDs scattered all over the world. I like to rip the old ones and do my own remaster.
Amazing research and guide to a great media almost forgotten. Hope you are sure about this future comeback.
The main issue with CD, still is, *LOUDNESS WAR!*
I have a Japanese CD release of Michael Jackson "BAD", if you look at the waveform of that album it's perfect, no issues. However, take the latest (remastered) version of the same album you'll see high compression tracks with clipping across it.
The exact same happens with any album releases in CD.
Those original Japanese releases and some reissues are better than the American releases. Also, some 24k gold reissues from the 90s are pretty good too. I have a couple tracks from a 1992 24k reissue of the Eagles' Hotel California. They are the clearest I've ever listened to.
When it comes to physical music media, nothing will ever beat a FLAC file on a drive or a Compact Disc. What was cutting edge in 1979 is still among the best options today. I think every audiophile should have a CD player in his or her setup, even if they seldom use it. I've noticed the global supply of CD players has taken a nosedive in 2020. The Yamaha S300 (which I own and love) is now discontinued. I fear I have to get a Blu Ray player with optical output when I set up a hi-fi system for my nephew. I want him to always have the option to spin a 5" optical disc.
It's 12cm not 5"
I have a Marantz CD6006 and oh my, it would take a stampede of raging elephants to take it away from me. I love its sound to bits (16 to be more precise).
Another advantage of musical enjoyment through CDs is that you can get very good used players like older Marantz or Denon for the price of a dinner out.
Before my CD6006, for ten years I used a wonderfully sounding Denon DCD-685 which I bought used for €50. Also, don't look down on higher-end players by Sony or Philips, they literally invented the CD format and some models have very high quality transports that you can connect later to a more modern DAC through SPDIF if the internal DAC isn't up to your standards.
Oh, I still have the first two CDs I ever bought back in 1990 and they still play like new, no skipping, no degradation, perfect playback every time. If they are well kept they'll last thirty years more.
Sadly, I can't say the same about most of my LP records from the 80s...
Cd's are not forgotten for me, I have a decent amount of cd's from Alicia Keys to Mariah Carey to Garth Brooks to Snoop Dogg to etc. Some of my favorite Cd's are my Dual Disc cd's. Also have a few Aaliyah cd's.
And for me too :-)
A rebirth of something that didnt die.
How much better are japanese shcd .i think id need a good system to tell the difference.
@@paulwilson9281 I really don't know
As long as the CD's are not 'remastered', then they will sound great. I have learned to stay away from remaster cd's
Excellent discussion of why CDs still make sense. Subbed.
I'm a dedicated CD buyer/collector/listener and I cannot stretch the inherent truth about what you're saying enough. I also happen to have a Marantz player (other model though) and a decent setup and stillthe sound of a good produced and mastered CD blows me away. Especially many old CD's from the eighties/early nineties which were not yet affected by Loudness War treatments. One thing I would also mention is to go for old CD pressings when you go shopping, cause they definetely tend to sound better then remastered/remixed et. re-releases. But still these are problems in the mastering/production domain, not in the medium itself. CD's always work, always sound good (depending on production/mastering), are relatively easy to store and handle and, most of all: Sound never degrades by repeated listens. My oldest CD is Neil Young's Freedom from 1989 and it is still playing crisp and clear. Last but not least I would add the benefit of gapless playing on CD's in comparison to streaming. There is nothing more annoying than a brief silence in between tracks when the audio is supposed to go on.
I was working in the Hi Fi Trade in London when we launched CDs.
It's a great format and although I am a pensioner living on a budget I can afford to buy second hand CDs.
Some I get from Charity shops and some I buy online. I never pay more than £3 unless it's an SACD Hybrid disc.
I even picked up a good quality SACD player for £35.
My vinyl collection has not been used for over 40 years.
Great video!! I’m a vinyl & CD person. All your points are dead on. I recently went to a garage sale and walked away with a couple of boxes of CDs for free! I’ve purchased brand new CDs of older albums for cheap (about $5 each) from Amazon. I also have a Marantz CD player and it does sound amazing. I also have an OPPO BDP-105 that sounds incredible and plays multiple audio formats including HDCD, SACD, DVD audio and etc.
My old Bose Wave Machine. We called it “BOX-O-PARTY”. Anywhere anytime…. Add a CD and the fun began. Collected CDs for 30 years. A bit overwhelming, but a deeply loved category of the things we collect in life.
I never really stopped buyin CDs, they as a rule, sound great, are cheaper and easier to look after than vinyl and more resilient. I think as cool as Vinyl is and how much I have vinyl. They are often fetishised as simply as the auld.
CD are also still digital as many forgot so I often rip them and put the chunes on me mobile while I do the housework. I usually get them used in fairness from charity shops or eBay and from time to time I treat meself till a shiney new one. Like O brought a local Árd Mhacha county band Waylanders album Kindred spirits new, thankfully though that was only £4.50 brand new! I also bought Ravens neat records years for £20, but that was a 4 disc set (1 cd alone had a double vinyl love album on it!) And I like how I don't have to change the Album as much as Vinyl, especially when I'm just doin the house work! I usually listen to music on TH-cam just streaming wise. 😅
Also I love reworking the CD pack before I go out (So they can be played on a boom box) or before a road trip!
Nicely done! Our distribution of listening is about the same though I no longer use cassettes. Getting a CD transport for my hi end DAC was one of the most enjoyable purchases I have made in a long time. My CD library has gotten very large. Agree CDs are a great format for classical and I can get used classical CDs for very cheap locally. I bought a couple dozen Telarc digital CDs in good condition for $1 each at a local store. I bought the Living Stereo 60 CD box set for about $115 new. These old analog recordings were beautifully remastered and represents some of the best sound quality I have heard despite being recorded in the 1950's. This set has a wonderful booklet and form factor. A bargain for that price. Unfortunately it is currently out of print. To your point get your CDs now while they are affordable.
I will also add that the Marantz CD6007 is a bargain and well worth the price for anyone who is wondering. The quality of CD playback has lots of potential with better gear and you will not regret the investment.
Great video. Like you I have rediscovered CDs. I use separates including an Audiolab 6000cdt CD transport with a digital coaxial cable to a very good DAC. I have jumped into SACDs too.
Excellent video, well earned sub my friend.
I've ripped my 600 CD collection to my NAS in WAV format, then stream back using ROON and WOW the sound is amazing, with nice low deep controlled base, that the advantage of CD's - keep stacking! many people selling and chasing lossy streaming services such a Tidal MQA and vinyl, funny how vinyl and CDs are cut from the same studio master in Digital!
I started collecting records when I was a teenager i.e. before the advent of CD. I hated the surface noises of the vinyl - hiss, pops, cracks, etc - not to mention the occasional mis-tracking of the groove and skips, jumps, etc. I used to hold my breath when listening to a newly purchased vinyl. With the advent of the CD, I bought my first two CD's around 1982-3 and never looked back. I was so pleased with the product and almost instantly decided to dump my entire vinyl collection of >200 vinyls and gave them away - yes, given them away! Instead, I replaced them with the CD over the decades. I now have a CD collection of over 3000 discs and still buying them today. I'm awaiting delivery of 5 CD's this week. Six months ago I upgraded my pre-amp and power supply with a once the flagship model of a high-end British hi-fi manufacturer and my entire CD collection is now given a new lease of life. I couldn't recognise many of these CD's as I'm hearing details that were not there!
Great video. Indeed with a great player (I have an Yamaha with that fantastic Pure Direct function) and audio system CDs really shine. And I even started to listen to them like they where records. I use the Program function of the player to split the listening into 20 or so minutes sections. Like changing sides with a record. In this way the experience of listening the music from a CDs becomes even more enjoyable and engaging. 💿😌🎶
Bravo. Great explanation.
Quality video man!! informative and entertaining thank you
Great video.
I'm like you I had my CDs in storage for years. Then when I split up with my ex I got my own place. The 1st thing I decided to do was get a CD players and some good speakers. The cd player I picked was the Marantze 6007 same as you. I have been snapping up 2nd hand CDs since. Must have bought 300 in the last 7 months. I love the sound of the cd played through my Edifer speakers. I also transfer the CDs to my Sony High Res played as lossless FLAC.
This was a great video! Thank you for all the great information.
I agree with all of it. I already have many CDs in my collection, along with vinyl, cassette, and indeed mini disc.
1 thing I do wonder, and never hear anyone speak of, is the ears of the listener.
Watching this, I do not need glasses like our fantastic presenter, so in the same way that to me makes my eyes “better”, how do ears compare?
I know ears get worse as we age, so me in my 50s simply cannot hear frequencies my teenage kids hear. Also, how do we know we are making the best of what our own ears can hear? Hearing aids? Shapes/styles of headphones? Even just cleaning the dang things.
I find a lot of audiophile type stuff is fed to us as fact, when really there has to be differences in how we hear, just the same as people see things differently.
Thanks.
you forgot about the room you’re in which you’re listening to the music.
Oh no I didn't. I just don't have a "perfect" to listen in.
I started buying cds in 1985.. I purchased a Furguson cd player from Laskeys.I like the format. The best format as it has lasted all these years. The best. I still buy & listen to my large collection. Great
I'm 61 and therefore grew up on vinyl, cassette, reel to reel, and 8 track. I remember the first CD I bought. It was 'December' by George Winston and I was floored by the quality & spaciousness. Over the years I've tried going back to vinyl a coupla times, but the hiss, pops, & cracks annoy me so much I end up going back to my CD's. I've accumulated over 800 CD's throughout the years and I appreciate the fact that I OWN a physical product. Of course, I do stream music, but I use this medium for albums I don't physically have.
Lastly, I'm revamping my hi-fi by getting five B&W M-1 speakers plus the B&W eight inch subwoofer. These will be hooked up to a Denon AVR-1913. I'm also getting a new Samsung Q80B television. My listening/viewing space will sound better than it has in years. 😁
Nothing beats the Hi End sound quality of SACD (Super Audio CD). Joint venture between Sony and Phillips. Pressings still being made on high quality recordings. Basically DVD music on a CD. ...but most people can't afford a expensive SACD player. Marantz make a good SACD player. McIntosh as well. Other companies too. SACD is analog sound of vinyl without the scratches.
Dutton Vocalion sacd in surround
@@helenat8826 I love my precious Roxy Music Avalon in DSD SACD!
Just listened to my Diana Krall SACD tonight of The Look of Love. One of the best albums ever! Those recordings give me goosebumps.
Any good speakers recommendations to go along with that Marantz? 🤔
SHM cd’s sound amazing....I’ve been updating my favorite albums as best I can.
Excellent, Thankyou
It may be seen as a dated medium but as someone with a modest CD collection and a fairly good Hi-Fi system, CD is still a very rewarding music playback system even if it's not as convenient as streaming solutions. I have also found that adding a modern high quality DAC to my mid 90s Arcam CD player has brought a small but noticeable improvement in sound quality.
You touched on something which intrigued me. Certain genres will shine on certain formats. For me, jazz needs to be on vinyl. I agree with classical being on CDs. It sounds amazing. Cassettes are fun for Hip Hop and 80s/90s singles.
Also I started out with CDs on a small rounded affordable boombox style CD player. It sounded ok. It wasn't until I got into records that I realized how good CDs can sound. Buy yourself a pair of Klipsch powered speakers, hook up a CD player (mine's from the early 1990s) and be blown away by the exceptional listening experience.
I totaly agree with you. I'm quite young (21) but I love listening to music on good equipment so I bought a record player (the AT-LP5 from Audio Technica). Most vinyls I listen to sound amazing (and are sounding better than CDs) (The 70's/80's rock music, or progressive rock such as Pink Floyd, or Daft Punk albums which are well mastered for vinyl), but sometimes the CD just sounds better (Californication from Red Hot Chilli Pepper is what comes to my mind right now, the vinyl version is atrocious). Plus they are more convenient when you don't want to bother with flipping the LP over after 20 minutes of playing. I also love cassettes because the sound is actually good (not on-par with vinyl and CDs but good enough to enjoy the music nonetheless), each cassette model has its own sonic personality (from a Maxell UR, to a Sony HF or a TDK D) and it's super easy to record vinyls onto to have a full analog portable copy. I also record some of my parents CDs to have them at my flat or to use them in my car (which uses cassettes).
I already own a record player and a cassette deck (an AKAI GX65 if I remember correctly), so the next step was to buy a true and dedicated CD player . I bought today a used NAD C515BEE in nearly mint condition, which has good review from various websites. Quite excited to listen to it when I'll receive it next week!
@@benjib2691 Californication from Red Hot Chilli Pepper in CD is atrocious too. I bought it when it came out, and the sound compression is very fatiguing...
great video....long live to cds
Great, thorough, well presented video. Ta.
I feel like the only millennial in the world who still buys CDs and prefers them to vinyl. It feels like I'm on crazy pills. I have a lot of vinyl records too, but I rarely listen to them tbh. I get so much more enjoyment out of CDs. The quality is better (let's be real here), they're cheaper, and, although smaller, they usually come with more artwork than vinyl records do. How many vinyl records come with booklets full of lyrics and art? Almost none. Usually they just cheaply slap the lyrics and additional artwork on the dust cover or add an additional print with the lyrics on it, but to me that just isn't the same to me as having a booklet. Yeah, the artwork IS bigger, but who cares if there's less of it and no lyrics? That's not enough reason for me to buy the vinyl when the CD is usually $20 cheaper lmfao. Plus, they're probably only pressing the CD master version on the record, so the argument that "it just sounds better" is really nothing more than an insane conformation bias. Even if it did magically "sound better," we wouldn't be able to hear it considering the limitations of human hearing, so what's the point even if that argument was valid?
Also, a cd can contain two usual length LPs, and can be skipped from track to track, according to your current moods. Modern transports and dacs have made the sound better than ever. Plus, the pleasure of picking up a cd for a dollar that once cost $30! Audio heaven.
Actually I'm also what you would called a millennial (I'm from 1999), and I think that both formats are good in their own right. Vinyl can sound amazing, better than CD even, especially using a good enough turntable (mine is the Audio Technica AT-LP5) and when the analog mastering is done correctly. But that doesn't mean that CDs are aweful. In fact, CDs also sound fantastic, and are more convenient overall (especially when I don't want to bother with flipping the vinyl over after 20 minutes or so). Heck, I even use cassettes regularly because they have more personality than most other formats sonically, albeit sounding a little bit worst than CDs and vinyls
The ability to make mix CDs is another advantage over vinyl (especially since I've not had a cassette player in 20+ years.) i love my vinyl but I tend to save it for things that I'll never feel the need to share, i.e. things I also have on CD from a long time ago or really weird shit no one I know would be interested in.) I will also concur, getting a nice player makes all the difference. I splurged on a higher end player (with SACD capability) and it sounds amazing.
I have never given into the streaming hype.
Low audio quality, unless you pay premium, no ownership.
.
I still have - an ever growing - collection of CD's, and the same goes for vinyl.
Lots of vinyl copied to Minidisc (Tascam MD350) and some CD's as well, just for listening to music on my Sony Minidisc walkman.
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CD player: Aram DV88 Plus
Headphones: Shure SRH940
Walkman: Sony MZ-E33 (all metal casing)
Amp: Arcam A 80 Diva
Record player: DUAL CS704
Speakers: Professional Monitoring Company (PMC) DB1
Sub: Hypex 200 Watts with Volt 38cm radial speaker.
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Streaming? No thanks.
Great video. You have a new subscriber.
You talked about the sound of your Marantz... but its only one element, amplifier, room and most of all the loudspeakers... in conclusion... loved the 1st part of this
First Off, CD's were developed for Classical Music, I have Catalogues going right back to when they started to come out Commercially (85-86). There Is page after page of Classical Music disc''s, then a couple of pages at the back, of the Big LP's from the passed. I was getting those 3" ones from Japan when I was a Club DJ. It was at least a Year before I could get hold a player to play them. By the time they put the 3" dink In the CD Tray, the 5" had completely taken over. I have the Technics SL-PS7 24bit/96khz Re-Master CD Player. This thing Is awesome. It will upscale any CD to 24bit/96khz. But when you put In a 24bit CD or SACD, this Is where the magic happens. Glad You still like, and play Vinyl. I have amassed over the Years 50,000 plus Singles. Mostly Promo ones from the Club days and Radio. Keep the Faith.
SACD! Still buy them on occasion but expensive. The disc has a CD layer and SACD layer with DSD64 (hi-res audio format).
SACD'S have some really great sound 👌. I have been recently listening to SACD albums reissued with original "Quadraphonic " sound mixes! I highly recommend them. It is truly an immersive sound experience.
I will say that without streaming, there is a ton of older music that I have discovered and fallen in love with, that I would never have even known about, let alone been able to hear all of, if my music consumption was limited to browsing and buying physical media in stores. Both have advantages.
Excellent video. However, there is one more option for listening to CDs: Portable CD Players (PCDP).
I like the convenience of a PCDP. No need for an elaborate set up, just a good Player and set of headphones. Load a CD, hit Play, and enjoy my music for the fraction of the price of a Loudspeaker System.
While digital audio players (DAP) offer the convenience of carrying your entire music collection with you, I've come to realize that I prefer the simplicity of a PCDP. With a DAP, it seems playing music gets lost in the shuffle. I recently purchased a PCDP made by HOTT and I like that is just a music player that plays CDs, MP3s, and WMA files. No need to sync it, just burn the songs to a CD-R (in whichever format I choose), and enjoy the music.
Thanks for explaining that to us
I'm still fawning over cassette tapes
Have a look at Techmoan's channel. Decent Chrome cassettes with Dolby C sounded great. The issue was that a lot of pre recorded cassettes were 5th generation copies on Ferric tape.
@@tomstickland love his channel, my problem now is finding a decent deck, the mid range Sonys are everywhere but all of the belts turned to tar, I am repairing one now but its such a mess I'm not confident it will sound great. I also don't want to pay $500 for deck either. But it seems to get anything good you have to pay big bucks for vintage or new :( I also have a consumer Hi-Fi Sony CD player I bought in 2010 and the mechanisms are starting to fail. They just don't make them like they used to.
I grew my compact disc collection back in the late ‘80’s and through the ‘90’s primarily from BMG’s “12 CD’s for a penny” mail order deal. Anyone remember that?! Talk about “back in the day”. Was a cool deal. 12 albums for one cent. Then you had to buy just one more at “full price”. They’re completely out of biz now but that didn’t stop me from hitting thrift stores, estate sales, etc. Today I’ve got a decent collection of vinyl, compact cassettes and compact discs. All of which (especially compact cassettes and vinyl) are dependent on the quality of your equipment. I use Nakamichi CD changers that both feature dual 20+ bit DAC’s. For my cassettes I use a Pioneer Elite cassette changer (really cool), and for my TT I’ve got a fully restored Thorens with a U-Turn Audio pre-amp. Also to keep my “changer” collection balanced I fully restored a BSR Accuglide XR-50. Love having a TT with an infrared remote. Always cracks me up when friends freak out when I control my turntable with a wireless remote. LOL
...".3 bits of knowledge we need to comprehend." " I thought it was 16 bits.😉
Love CD's. I have about 2k in my collection. What I really wish they had is the same anti-scratch coating that blu-rays have. As they are, they're prone to getting scratches quite easily.
Yes blu-rays have that good coating.
Downloading music is way better than streaming but to experience a full album; CD all the way.
Is it okay downloading our favourite song?
I had a similar experience using a Topping E30 DAC with my digital out CD player. It also helps the Spotify stream too.
Thank God that NO brand new recordings will ever be issued on vinyl. But then again ... I might be wrong? LOL
I love nostalgia just for the sake of nostalgia, but nothing more. Technology changes the world, and 99% of the time, it's always for our benefit.
I still buy them. Redbook sounds good. I only buy when I like an album that I stream. I buy the CD and rip it in a high quality format for listening on my iPhone and Mac. Streamed music sounds bad to me plus I like owning things forever and I like reading the liner notes. I appreciate the music more if it's physical.
Music on hard drives sounds inferior to an authored disc, weather it be red book or blu-ray audio. The reason is the way data is extracted and delivered. Data off of hard drives is extracted in packets and a disc is a continuous bit stream. Data from hard drives only gives you the correct bits. Data from spinning discs not only give you the correct bits, but they must also give you the correct bits at the correct time. Streaming is also music from a hard drive on a server.
@@380stroker It's subjective. I find SSD's to be a good way to store music.
I'm at a point in life where I don't really care about that stuff as much as I mainly use (Airpods Pro's) to listen to music because I'm on the go a lot and don't have the time to care but I still buy albums that love on CD so I can always have access to them if a streaming platform pulls it or something.
However I will never invest in vinyl records as you have to look after them like kids and they take up too much space.
@@Olando89 I don't listen to records anymore and I gave all my records away, however I will say that to me records sounded more "alive" or "real" because I chose records that were a 100% analog transfer from tape, but the records will never sound as accurate as CD or higher resolution audio.
You are preaching to the choir. I never left cds. Im not really a computer person so as soon as records went out in the late 80s and cds came along i went with them. Yes I know records have made a come back and i miss their sound but I neither have the space or money to buy them back again. Be honest, I bet these things never occured to you.
The nice part of lossless file. You can make adjustments to the file and save it in the same quality. Lossy files lose quality if you save them as another file. Do it several times and you lost a lot.
With a lossy file you'd have to save back to lossless, edit that and convert back to lossy, to minimise any further quality loss.
I get why streaming is popular. It's cheap, convenient and you can listen almost anywhere. But when it comes to purchasing music, the cd is a really great format, that requires very little maintenance . Get yourself a good quality cd player, decent amplifier, speakers and your all set for good quality sound. 🤟
I really enjoyed this video, but I'm wondering: do CDs keep well over time?
I collect the....minidiscs, and I have several discs that have aged very badly and have become unusable...so I wonder about the CDs .. ?
Beyond the Marantz, but not spending ridiculous amounts, and getting the biggest jump in cost vs. quality, I’d go for an Audiolab 6000CDT and an external DAC. The sound will be transformative. Certainly more so than the equivalent Turntable for the same spend. Long live the CD! 🤘
I have a high frequency total loss over 3k hrtz. when I heard the Beatles in cd the mushy analogue was made crisp and I heard Mc Cartney bass, the lyrics. Everything nice and divided and better dynamic range.
Loved it.
question I was thinking about buying a better transport I’m thinking I should not do it after doing research because it seems for the most part they don’t matter anyone have an opinion on this?
The CD transport does matter....though it may or may not be a noticeable difference
Great video. Do you l loose much quality with Bluetooth headphones?
We still love CDs.
I have hundred of CDs, collected since 90's until 2010. Once I thought to sell it all but it's time to invest them for the future. Thanks to open my mind.
HA! When I first moved to AZ, i had sold my audio system but still had 1500 albums. I went to a swap meet where A guy bought them all for $1200. What a mistake THAT was. I wish I had kept them.
Totally agree. So many albums I want I'll never see on LP but I can own them on CD for a fraction of the cost. I just love physical media. There's a place for everything.
I am all the time liking my favourite music on my CDs only. I don’t think they have become obsolete.